Electric signal device.



ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE, APPLICAHON FILED DEC. \3. ms.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. TOMKO & C. W. OPPENLANDER.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED 05c. 13, 1915.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14L, 191?.

Application flledDecember'lB, 1915. Serial No. 66,472.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN TOMKO and CHARLES W. OPPENLANDER, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of C-uyahog-aand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and'useful Improvements inElectric Signal Devices, ofwh-ich the following isa specification.

This invention relates to electric semaphores or signal devicesespecially adapted and intended for use at street crossings, for thepurpose ofindicating thedirection of travel, the intent beingto stoptraffic in one direction while his passing in the other.

The device embodies a post on which are mounted swinging arms operatedelectrically to lift or fall at the will of a policeman. or otheroperator.

In connection with the semaphores, night signals are provided by meansof lights carried by the arms, white lights showin .in one direction,and red lights the ot er, when the arms are down.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of thedevice.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electric wiring of one of the arms.

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations partly in section, showing the operatingmechanism.

Fig. 5 is a detail of a clip.

The swinging arms '6 are mounted on a hollow post 7 or other suitablesupport, by pivots at 8, permitting the arms to swing to either verticalor horizontal position. Each arm is operated by means of an upper magnet9 and lower magnet 10 the armatures of plungers 11 of which are guidedin slotted brackets 12. These plungers are connected by rods 13 toslotted links 14 which are pivoted at 15 to the inner end of the arm 6,the connection between the rods 13 and the links 14 being made by pins16 which are slidable in the slots 17' in the links.

The arms are operated by means of the alternate application of currentto the upper and lower magnets. When the' arm is in horizontal position,as shownin Fig. 4 the pin 16 on the lower connectingrod is at the lowerend of the-slot 17,. and when the magnet 10 is energized its core 11 ispulled down, thereby lifting the outer end of the arm to verticalposition, the pin 16' at the end of the upper connecting rod 13traveling during this action to. the end of the slot 17 in the upperlink 14. When the arm is to be dropped the upper magnet 9 is energizedandthe circuit of the lower magnet is broken, and the plunger 11 of theupper magnet is pulled up thereby allowing or causing the arm 6 to dropto horizontal position. The arms 6 are almost counterbalanced, so that apull in either direction will carry it to either position, the lostmotion between the connecting rods 13 and the arm being taken up in theslotted links 14. A pin 18 acts as a stop for the upper link 14 to restagainst when inactive.

A spring clip 19, attached to the side of the post, is adapted to catchand hold the arm in vertical position and prevent the shock of suddenstoppage. This clip is shown located on the outside of the post, tocatch the outer end of the arm.

In Fig. 3 the parts are shown with the arm in vertical position, and inFig. 4 with the arm in horizontal position.

The arms are preferably made hollow, with a white glass 20 at the endsand red glasses 21 at the sides, these glasses being illuminated by alamp inside of the arms, with electrical connectionsto-light the lampswhen the arms drop. A bell 22 is also included in the circuit 23, andthe bell and lamp contacts are indicated at 24 and 25, for closing theappropriate circuits when the arms drop. The switches by which themagnets are controlled are indicated at 27 and 28, and will be suitablylocated for manipulation.

At night, when the arms are dropped the red lights show in one directionand the white lights in the opposite direction. If desired, suitableelectric connections can be made whereby the lights alone can beoperated without operation of the arms, all of the arms being allowed toremain down. A switch for such operation is indicated at 30.

The invention is not limited to the exact construction shown, but may bevaried within the scope of. the following claims.

Having. described our invention what we claimas new is:

1. In a signal, the combination of a support, an arm pivoted thereto,solenoids located at opposite sides of the arm, slotted links pivoted tothe arm, and extending on opposite sides thereof respectively, and a rodpivotally connected to the core of each solenoid and having a projectionslidable in the slot of each lmk.

2. In a signal, the combination of a sema-- phore arm provided withluminous devices of different colors visible respectively from 'thesides and the end' of the arm, and means actuated automatically bymovement of the arm to simultaneously illuminate said devices, vwherebyone color will be shown in tions, 'andmeans in the armto illuminate allof sa1d glasses when the arm 1s moved to a certain position.

In testimony whereof, we do aflix our sig- 5 I natures in presence oftwo witnesses.

"JOHN TOMKO.

CHARLES W; OPPENLANDER. Witnesses: I

JOHN A. BOMMHARDT, J. B. DAVIS.

